The Russellville Democrat., 1887-01-05
DR. TALMAGE's HEALTH.
How a Distinguished Clergy men
 Works and Rests.
fFrom the Brooklyn Citizen l


 The Rev. Dr. Talmage, who has been confined to his house for a few days mast with a slight touch of influenza, yesterday took a short walL in tfie bright. warm sunlight When a repre- sentative of the Citizen called at his re ess.5ielce last night, Dr. Talmage was feeling much better in health and was in his usual jovial frame of mind. Speaking of his present indisposition, he said
 "This is the first sickness l have had in eighteen years. About twenty-four years ago in Philadelphia I had sim liar attack. I went out last Wednesday to see sick man, got caught in the storm and did not take care of myself. extraordinarily blessed with good health"
 ssTo what do you attribute your long continued good health?"
 'sI attribute it first of all to a good Providence. l don't like to cant, but that is question which we. have yet to come to. Next to that, I M%e always tried to observe closely the laws of health. 1 am fanatic on exercise and ventilation. Duringshe time 1 lived in I gymnasium every day except Sunday, and even when first came to Brooklyn went daily to the old gymnasium, which then stood on the corner of Schermerhorn and Smith streets. There is nothing that takes the place of the gymnasium. Leg exercise is grand. Dumb bells are good thing, but in or der to have good health all the ma I,. , ..f ho xr ha hr1t arh into use. I have been very cautious about many things. I smoke no cigars and drink no rum. It is not whisky and wine that kill people; it is the hor- rible adulteration they sell and call it whisky. Another important fact is good nature. Nothing wears out man out so much as getting mad. l don't tiifle with it more than once in ten years, because it breaks me all up when de- It is bad for the spleen, bad for the liver and brain, awful on the nerves and accomplishes nothing"
 sHow about diet?'
 'sI must say that I am large eater and am fond of good things. l like eve rything that was ever constructed in the way of food, except codiish. That like about two blocks off. I dine at l
 
 to eat. I never missed but one meal and then I was on top of mountain and couldn't get anything. After din- ner I sleep. Professor Combe, who was celebrated authority on dietics, says person should never sleep after din- ner. l don't agree with him. All ani- mals lie down after they eat, and we all have more or less of the animal nature ;,,, tNt hov | to taking my after dinner nap, that it makes no difference where 1 am, in horse car or on railroad train, any where, when it comes time for my nap, fall asleep. Why, have gone to sleep on the witness stand before now, and counsel in the case have become very indignant, but that was my hour and 1 could not help it. When I say nap after dinner, 1 don't mean snooze. Some people lie down on the sofa with cane in their hand and go to sleep, and when the cane falls that ends their nap. When I take nap I take off all my clothes and go to bed, and do that every day after dinner, so l have two mornings of every day. 1 have done it since 1 was 20 years old. My theory on dietetics differs from that of many min l5telS NHO Sd9 lhcy dOA tdl Oi Cuu- day. 1 eat twice as much on Sunday as l do any other day, because 1 work harder on that day. 1 will tell you a secret on dietetics. The reason men be- come dissipatel when they are about 10 years of age is from the fact that at that time a co nplete revolution takes place in their physical system which seems to demand stimulus. What shall it be? If 1.Or tnl~ fAn nd .,ti f, life there is no stimulus in them for him when this revolution takes place. If a man has not taken tea and coffee be- ween the ages of 20 and 10, when this physical revolution occurs they will come in to him like a reinforcement from heaven. l think this is important especially in the cases of editors, repor- ters, speakers and literary men in gen. eral. These men work hard at night, and that shortens life. When they come down to breakfast in the morning they have no appetite and feel generally used up. There is temptation for them to go out and get dram before they can get up an appetite, whereas if they would sit down and drink two cups of coffee it would straighten them all out. I know it by experience. l despise one cup Ol COiitts | uiusb nave lNU. l dlSO despise one plate of ice cream for the same reason. stopped drinking coffee at about the age of 20 because l was nervous and did not need stimulus, but between that period and 40 whenever l drank it, which was at rare intervals, 1t had the same effect on me that strong drink has upon some men,"
 ''ls tobacco injurious to literary mem"
 I think it is more destructive to their health than anything else. They are constantly splitting and breathing their life away. 1 used 10 be great smoker, and since have entered the ministry have seen the time when l could not study without cigar in my mouth."
 You think that night work shortens mans lffe?n
 ''Yes. It is an abbreviation of phy- sical energy and without doubt short ems life. 1 used to sit up till o'clock in the morning, but 1 found it was mistake. I have not studied at night but once in twenty-four years, and that was the night after Lincoln died. Night work is more of drain on the nervous system than any other thing. Men can work swifter at night. 1 cSuld do more work in two hours after midnight than l could in all the other hours of the day. It is a weird time when mans emotions are let loose and rush along like loco motive when it runs at four times greater